Sensing devices, systems, and methods particularly for pest control

Abstract

A pest control system ( 20 ) includes pest control devices ( 110 ) installed about an area or building ( 22 ). These devices ( 110 ) each include a bait member and a communication circuit. The communication circuit may be in the form of a passive RF tag that transmits information indicative of bait status and an identifier unique to each pest control device ( 110 ). A hand held interrogator ( 30 ) is provided to locate and communicate with the pest control devices ( 110 ) via the communication circuit. A data collection unit ( 40 ) to accumulate data gathered from the pest control devices ( 110 ) may alternatively or additionally be utilized. The device ( 110 ) includes a sensor that has an electrically conductive pathway comprised of a nonmetallic material. Other pest control devices to detect varying nonzero levels of pest activity are also disclosed. Still another device includes one or more environmental sensors to further evaluate and predict pest behavior.

1. A pest control device, comprising:
 a sensor including a first portion subject to separation or displacement relative to a second portion by one or more pests; and  
 a circuit coupled to the sensor to monitor a property of the sensor being changed by the separation or displacement of the first portion relative to the second portion, the circuit being operable to detect a number of different nonzero levels of pest activity.  
 
   
   
     2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a network of spaced apart, electrically resistive pathways, the network includes the first portion and the second portion, and the property corresponds to electrical resistance of the network. 
   
   
     3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes an electrode, the electrode includes the first portion and the second portion, and the property corresponds to electrical capacitance of the electrode. 
   
   
     4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes one or more sensing elements carried on a substrate. 
   
   
     5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more sensing elements are formed from a carbon-containing conductive ink fixed to the substrate. 
   
   
     6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit includes one or more bait members associated with the sensor, the bait members configured to be consumed by the one or more pests. 
   
   
     7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit is operable to provide a number of output signals each corresponding to one of the different levels of pest activity. 
   
   
     8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes magnetic material to generate a magnetic field that varies with the separation or displacement and the circuit includes a magnetic field monitoring subcircuit. 
   
   
     9. A pest control device, comprising:
 a bait member operable to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests; and  
 a circuit including one or more sensing elements associated with the bait member, a characteristic of the one or more sensing elements being altered with pest consumption or displacement of the bait member, the circuit being operable to monitor the characteristic to detect a number of different nonzero degrees of the pest consumption or displacement.  
 
   
   
     10. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensing elements include an electrode and the circuit is operable to detect a change corresponding to an electrical capacitance associated with the electrode. 
   
   
     11. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensing elements number two or more and the sensing elements each correspond to one of a number of spaced apart electrically conductive pathways, the electrically conductive pathways each having a predetermined electrical resistance. 
   
   
     12. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the member includes a substrate, the one or more sensing elements being formed from a carbon-containing material fixed to the substrate. 
   
   
     13. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the circuit applies an electric potential to the one or more sensing elements. 
   
   
     14. The device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensing elements include a magnetic material operable to generate a magnetic field that changes in accordance with the consumption or displacement. 
   
   
     15. A pest control device, comprising: a circuit including a number of electrically coupled sensing elements spaced apart from one another and arranged to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests, the sensing elements each corresponding to a different one of a number of electrically resistive pathways, the circuit being responsive to alteration of one or more of the sensing elements to provide information representative of a degree of pest consumption or displacement. 
   
   
     16. The device of  claim 15 , wherein a first one of the sensing elements has a first predetermined resistance and a second one of the sensing elements has a second predetermined resistance different than the first predetermined resistance. 
   
   
     17. The device of  claim 16 , wherein the first one of the sensing elements and the second one of the sensing elements are electrically connected in parallel. 
   
   
     18. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the sensing elements are arranged to correspond to a resistor ladder network. 
   
   
     19. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the member includes a substrate and the sensing elements are carried with the substrate. 
   
   
     20. The device of  claim 19 , wherein the sensing elements are made from a carbon-containing ink fixed to the substrate. 
   
   
     21. The device of  claim 19 , wherein the substrate is arranged in a number of layers. 
   
   
     22. The device of  claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the substrate is arranged in at least one of a rolled, folded, or bent configuration to provide the layers. 
   
   
     23. The device of  claim 19 , wherein one or more of the sensing elements extend through the substrate that are electrically coupled by one or more conductive pathways extending along an outer surface of the substrate. 
   
   
     24. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the circuit includes an A/D converter, a processor, and data communication circuitry to communicate the information. 
   
   
     25. A pest control device, comprising: a circuit including an electrode operable to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests, capacitance of the electrode changing in response to pest consumption or displacement, the circuit being operable to monitor a property corresponding to the capacitance of the electrode to provide an output representative of a degree of the pest consumption or displacement. 
   
   
     26. The device of  claim 25 , wherein the electrode is made from a conductive ink fixed to a member. 
   
   
     27. The device of  claim 26 , wherein the conductive ink includes carbon. 
   
   
     28. The device of  claim 26 , wherein the member is in the form of a dielectric substrate. 
   
   
     29. The device of  claim 25 , wherein the circuit includes a reference capacitor, an A/D converter, a processor, and a wireless communication transmitter to communicate the information. 
   
   
     30. A method, comprising:
 operating a pest control device including a circuit with a sensor arranged to be at least partially consumed or displaced by one or more pests;  
 establishing a first nonzero degree of sensor consumption or displacement with the circuit in response to separation of a first portion of the sensor; and  
 determining a second nonzero degree of sensor consumption or displacement with the circuit in response to separation of a second portion of the sensor after the separation of the first portion.  
 
   
   
     31. The method of  claim 30 , further comprising detecting separation of a third portion of the sensor with the circuit after the separation of the second portion to provide an output representative of a third nonzero degree of consumption or displacement of the sensor by the one or more pests. 
   
   
     32. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said determining is performed by detecting a change in capacitance of the sensor. 
   
   
     33. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said determining is performed by detecting a change in electrical resistance of the sensor. 
   
   
     34. The method of  claim 30 , further comprising transmitting information corresponding to the sensor consumption or displacement with the circuit to a data collection unit. 
   
   
     35. The method of  claim 34 , further comprising determining a pattern of pest activity with the information. 
   
   
     36. The method of  claim 30 , further comprising applying a pesticide in response to said determining. 
   
   
     37. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said determining is performed by detecting a change in a magnetic field generated by the sensor. 
   
   
     38. A system, comprising a plurality of pest control devices each including a respective bait member operable to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests and a respective circuit including one or more sensing elements associated with the bait member, a characteristic of the one or more sensing elements of the respective circuit being altered with pest consumption or displacement of the bait member, the respective circuit being operable to monitor the characteristic to detect a number of different nonzero degrees of the pest consumption or displacement. 
   
   
     39. The system of  claim 38 , further comprising a data collection device to communicate with the respective circuit of each of the plurality of pest control devices. 
   
   
     40. The system of  claim 38 , further comprising a computer operable to evaluate the information to identify a pattern of pest activity.